Current UK laws require companies to use a human safety driver when testing technology on the road. Photo: Rui Vieira/PA < p>Under plans being considered by the government, driverless cars will be able to deliver groceries and carry passengers on UK roads within four years.
The Department for Transport has drawn up plans to introduce laws that would allow the use of autonomous vehicles without safe drivers. in the front seat, according to industry sources.
The legislation would be a watered-down version of the much-delayed future of transportation laws, which are unlikely to be passed before the next election in their current form.
It is believed that legislation before the election could mean that self-driving car companies will be providing commercial services to the public by 2027, once their regulation has gone through consultation and trial processes.
Technology companies have expressed disappointment over delays in the adoption of laws. it would allow them to launch commercial drone services, with the warning that they could move testing overseas as a result.
A spokesman for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Driverless Vehicles said: “The industry wants the Government to deliver legislation in the King's Speech and any failure to do so risks damaging investor confidence, costing us a competitive advantage in cutting production. advanced technology and manufacturing.»
Rishi Sunak is currently considering departmental proposals to be put forward in next month's King's Speech for the final legislative session before the next election.
< p>However, it is unclear whether the laws will be included in the speech, which sets out the government's agenda for next year and is likely to be the last before the election.
Self-driving cars have sparked controversy recently. The rollout of a 24-hour robo-taxi service in San Francisco has resulted in multiple glitches, including collisions with emergency vehicles and traffic jams, leading to calls to halt the public rollout of the technology.
MPs also raised concerns about the risk of cyber-attacks on self-driving cars, which could cause «mass casualties».
Last year's Queen's Speech announced plans for a sweeping transport bill that would cover areas as diverse as railways, power station charging points, e-scooters and London rickshaws, and self-driving technology, but political turmoil meant the bill was shelved.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the then transport minister, blamed the delay on the need to prioritize new legislation to tackle the energy crisis.
The complexity of previously planned legislation means it may be difficult to pass before the next election, meaning that ministers can focus on individual areas.
Mr Sunak is under pressure to be kind to artificial intelligence companies amid growing investment in the technology.< /p>
The development of laws is seen as relatively simple after lengthy reviews by the Law Commission, which covered areas such as remote piloting of self-driving cars.
Last month, Transport Committee MPs said current laws governing driverless cars were «archaic and restrictive» and called on the Government to introduce laws.
«Failure to do so will cause significant and long-term damage to both the UK [driverless car] industry , and the country’s reputation as an innovator,” the report says. .
A review of technology regulation published in March by Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's former chief scientific adviser, called for a Future of Transport Bill to be introduced in the upcoming Parliament, saying it would «send a strong signal of intent».< /p>
Government said it would introduce bills when parliamentary time permits.
A three-year trial of Nissan's self-driving cars, which ended in February, concluded the cars could operate safely in urban environments after 1,600 miles of testing failed Not a single failure was recorded.
Earlier this year, Ford received the green light to introduce the BlueCruise hands-free system for its electric vehicles in the UK.
The system, which automatically adjusts speed, turns and brakes when driving on motorways, was the first company to receive ministry approval transport.
But delays in legislation now threaten the future of technology in the UK.
Wayve, the driverless car company backed by Ocado and Microsoft that plans to make autonomous grocery delivery, has warned which may invest in testing its services overseas if the laws are not passed.
Although the company has tested its technology in several UK cities, the laws are still in place. require it to use a safety driver and prohibit it from launching a full range of services.
In the US, self-driving car companies Waymo and Cruise have completed more than 1 million miles of testing without a safety driver.
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Number 10 and the Ministry of Transport do not comment.
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